Stoves Richmond 550E

Summary

User Score

Pros

Cons

Expensive

Main oven is small

Grill pan handle gets hot

Review Price £700.00

Key Features: Ceramic hob;
Fan oven;
Cool Door technology

Manufacturer: Stoves

Stoves Richmond 550E

At almost a metre tall and expertly styled, the Stoves Richmond 550E certainly looks good. The smooth lines, bold colours and shiny chrome handles make it eye-catching and attractive. It’s not just a pretty kitchen addition, however, the unit feels nice and sold, and its ceramic hob and dual oven allow for a range of cooking methods and aid in the preparation of large meals.

The hob is ceramic. Ceramic hobs are gaining in popularity for a number of reasons — they heat up faster and then hold their heat well, allowing even distribution of warmth which gives more even cooking.

Building on this strong foundation, at the top of the Stoves Richmond 550E, is the top electric oven and grill combo. Although the setup works well as both a conventional oven and as a standard grill, the grill pan handle is prone to becoming exceptionally hot and can easily cause you to burn yourself. Disappointingly, the handle also doesn’t fit on the pan when it’s not in use meaning you have to store it elsewhere.

At the bottom of the Stoves Richmond 550E is the main electric oven. It has two shelves that can be put at different heights or removed completely and is a fan oven. Fan ovens are much better to cook with than conventional models as they distribute the heat more evenly as well as cooking food much quicker and at a lower temperature.

For added safety, the main oven of the Stoves Richmond 550E has a cool door. This means it will bounce the heat back into the oven rather than absorbing it, ensuring the glass on the outside of the oven doesn’t get hot — good for if you have inquisitive little fingers in your house that might otherwise accidentally burn themselves.

In the main, the Stoves Richmond 550E is easy to use — although the timer can be a bit fiddly and take a little getting used to. After use, the fan will cool the oven down so you don’t have to worry about it being hot for ages. It’s a relatively expensive model, but you do get what you pay for.